


a familiar sweetness

by baberainbow



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Drinking, Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon, tipsy sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:15:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25602694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baberainbow/pseuds/baberainbow
Summary: “You make me feel so good,” Nicky told him very seriously. “You always do.”Joe got very sentimental for a moment, paused, and stared into Nicky’s eyes. His Nicky was a steadfast, intense lover. He was a warm, constant fire that never flickered. He was the most gentle, most vicious, most wonderful, the most --“Oh. Look at you, Nico,” he said in awe, and he tucked a sweaty lock of hair behind Nicky’s ear and stroked his cheeks.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 42
Kudos: 764





	a familiar sweetness

“I think I will stay in,” Nicky said stepping out of the hotel shower. 

“Oh?” Joe asked, trimming his beard in front of the bathroom mirror. He had already changed into his jeans and undershirt, but his hair was still wet from his own shower. “Are you feeling alright?” 

“I am tired,” Nicky supplied, unpinching a neatly rolled towel and rubbing it at his hair. He was exhausted; he had not been too terribly roughed up, but his spirit resisted any thought of leaving the hotel after today’s escapades. 

“Need a breather?” Joe brushed the trimmings off the counter and into a little trashcan. Nicky wrapped another towel around himself and followed Joe back into their room for the night. 

“I would like some time to think,” he said. He loved being with his family, and he loved being with his Joe but sometimes he needed a moment to decompress, meditate even, after a long day. He didn’t want Joe to sacrifice his night out for his sake, either. “Besides, I do not want to lose another drinking game to Andy or Nile. Though, I am sure you are willing to.” 

Joe laughed and rummaged through their bag for a shirt. Joe knew him well enough to not interpret Nicky’s reluctance as some sort of standoffish mood. “Want me to bring you back anything?” 

Nicky shook his head. “I’ll order room service. Copley’s paying, yes?” 

They just finished a job. Lodging was an expense. Incidentals were charged back. They didn’t mind taking advantage, especially after London. 

“Yes,” Joe agreed. He pulled Nicky to him and nudged their heads together, silently affirming that _Yes, today was hard. I know you’re tired. I know. I love you._

Nicky buttoned Joe’s shirt up for him, and he dried and dressed himself in sweats to escort Joe to the lobby where Andy and Nile were waiting. Nile frowned upon learning Nicky wouldn’t be joining. She wanted to make sure he wouldn’t have what she referred to as ‘FOMO,’ but Andy shrugged it off and started heading out. 

He kissed Joe’s cheek goodbye and called after them to take a shot on his behalf. 

Back in the room, he sagged in relief against the door, kicking off his sandals. After perusing the menu and beverage selection, he called for room service. He didn’t have much of an appetite, but he could go for a couple beers and maybe some wine. 

After he ate his dinner on the balcony, he put it upon himself to prepare their bed. He untucked the tightly pulled sheets and fluffed the pillows. He’d been lazily sipping red wine from the bottle and placed it alongside two sweating bottles of beer on his bedside table. Out of habit, he wedged his handgun in the nook between the bed and side table. 

He grabbed a book that he’d been sporadically reading on planes and car rides and settled under the covers.

*

Andy was definitely cheating at this game of cards, but when Joe and Nile had to drink, they did so without a grudge because it was fun to lose together. They were crammed in a little booth in a busy bar that they blended into easily. Andy hadn’t been kidding when she said she “needed a goddamn drink in a place so loud I can’t think” after today’s job.

“It isn’t fair,” Nile said after downing some of her frozen margarita. She was on her third of the night, and she hated how her buzz would clear up. “I would like to stay tipsy for longer than an hour. Is that too much to ask?” 

“Ask who?” Joe teased back, taking a sip of his vodka soda. 

Nile gave him a ‘really?’ kind of look, and Joe snickered. “At first, it was great because I don’t have hangovers. But this margarita cost ten dollars. I want to feel ten-dollars worth of wasted, or Copley should get his money back.” 

Andy dealt out another hand. “Well, since he’s footing the bill, keep on trying margaritas. Once you have to pay for it yourself, it’s not as fun.” 

“Well some things are worth paying for,” Joe added. “Remember that one bar in Cuba in ‘58? With the really good rum?” 

Nile groaned. “I swear to god if I hear _one more vague reference_ ,” she threatened. “I should start carrying a jar that you have to put a dollar in each time.” 

“Why don’t we make it a drinking game, instead?” Joe offered. “Every time someone makes a vague reference, the others have to drink.” 

Andy gave a knowing smile. If Nile wanted to get tipsy… “That’s just sadistic. But, yes, Joe. I do remember that rum. Do you also remember that Sangiovese we had in 1593?” 

Joe took a sip and stared pointedly at Nile who was giving them some major side eye. “I think my dollar jar was a better idea,” she mumbled as she stuck the straw back between her lips, drinking up the last of the slush pooled at the bottom of her cocktail glass. 

“It was a better idea,” Andy agreed, and she called over the server for another round. “Wanna know what else was a good idea?” 

“Oh, c’mon.” 

“Remember Vienna ‘29, Joe?” Andy said, smirking and very pleased with herself as Joe took a sip and gave some of his to Nile so she could drink, too. 

“That was a good idea,” Joe said. “But what about that other time in Tuscany in ‘04?” 

Andy took a shot. Nile took another sip from Joe's. “Oh my god. I’m going to die of alcohol poisoning, huh? Can we play cards now?” 

“Sure, we can play cards,” Andy said just as the bartender served another round of drinks. “Remember that card game we played Christmas Eve ‘21?” 

_”Oh my god.”_

*

Joe returned just before midnight and smelled like a distillery.

“Hey,” Nicky said, watching Joe toe off his loafers. “You three have fun?” 

“Mm,” Joe hummed, and he was definitely tipsy just by the sweet slack to his mouth. 

Nicky slipped his bookmark into the page and set the book aside. Joe flicked on the overhead lights and pulled off his shirt before balling it up and tossing it near their bags. 

Joe unbuckled his belt and untucked his undershirt. “I beat Andy in the last round of cards.” He gave Nicky a toothy grin and kicked out of his pants. 

“What a shame to miss that,” he lamented and took a swig of beer. 

"I missed you," Joe said. 

"I missed you," Nicky said back. "Come here." 

Joe turned off the overhead lights once he was left in his boxers and walked over to the bed. He crawled on top of it until he was by Nicky’s side. “Hey,” he whispered, eyeing at Nicky’s lips. 

Nicky kissed him in response, shuffling under the covers to yank Joe closer to him.

*

“Does Nicky ditch a lot?” Nile asked, very tipsy. Andy was assisting her back to her hotel room, amused. The new drinking game worked. Andy cheating at cards didn’t help either. But she was more drunk than she’d been able to be since she died for the first time. She figured it was the tequila making her overanalyze Nicky’s absence. “Why didn’t he wanna come out?"

Andy helped her slot the keycard into the door. “Nicky’s battery can run low. All of ours can. He’s very much a homebody. Some days, you just wanna stay the fuck home. I don’t blame him.” 

Nile flopped onto the bed. “Oof.” 

“Next time, we can make a new drinking game. Every time they wax poetic to each other or give a meaningful look, we take a shot.” 

“I would probably die,” Nile muffled into her pillow. “I would have to take like twenty thousand shots. They like to make heart-eyes at each other a lot.” 

“Yeah, you probably would,” Andy agreed as she helped kick off Nile’s shoes. “That would be a very quick-coming death.”

*

“Oh, Yusuf. Uh huh,” Nicky gritted out, voice raw. “Oh, fuck.”

Joe licked a stripe across his cheek and hoisted Nicky’s hips up to fuck into him harder. 

Nicky liked that, and he clutched Joe’s ass in his hands and kneaded. Joe keened at that and moaned into Nicky’s ear. “Oh, darling,” he murmured as his balls hit against Nicky’s ass. “Oh, Nicky.” 

“You make me feel so good,” Nicky told him very seriously. “You always do.” 

Joe got very sentimental for a moment, paused, and stared into Nicky’s eyes. His Nicky was a steadfast, intense lover. He was a warm, constant fire that never flickered. He was the most gentle, most vicious, most wonderful, the most -- “Oh. Look at you, Nico,” he said in awe, and he tucked a sweaty lock of hair behind Nicky’s ear and stroked his cheeks. 

He smacked Joe’s ass like he was rearing a horse. “Keep fucking me.” 

Joe moved again and fucked Nicky slow and hard. He lifted them up a little further and pulled him closer into his lap. He was clenching his jaw, the strains in his neck coiled. “Nico.” 

Nicky nipped at his chin, tugged his teeth tight at the skin, and then sighed, “Yusuf,” as he kissed the mark better. “Darling.” 

Joe grabbed the beer on the bedside table and took a swig. Nicky opened his mouth, and Joe poured some in. There was a tender pinkness to Joe’s face, from the exertion, the booze, and the overwhelming need and devotion he has for the man underneath him.

“Are you going to come?” Nicky asked him sweetly, gulping. The color of Joe’s skin matched with the blown-out desire in his eyes let Nicky know just how close he was. 

Joe groaned and insisted, “You first.”

Nicky smiled and soothed his hand over the back of Joe’s curls. “You know I like how it feels when you do.” 

Joe hissed and dropped to his elbows, nuzzled his face between Nicky’s ear and neck. “ _Nicky._ ” 

“Do I make you feel good, too?” he goaded, rubbing Joe’s back. “Do I?” 

Joe huffed and moaned his assent. He was beyond words now. “Mmh.” 

Nicky closed his eyes and clutched Joe tighter to him. The mattress beneath them was starting to creak along with Joe’s fucking, and Nicky’s toes curled against the sheets. “So come.” 

Joe obliged, sighing, fucking into him deep and hard as he released. Nicky mouthed at the side of his face, and the pleasure shocked him to the bone. He used his own fist to fuck his swollen, leaking cock, and when he came, Joe had gathered some of his wits back enough to start kissing him, murmuring sweet nothings. 

“You ruin me. You bring me to my knees,” Joe told him, stroking his cheek. “I would do anything for you, my love.” 

“Will you carry me to the shower?” he asked, rubbing his back. “And join me?” 

Joe laughed, soft and sweet and flopped down on him. “In a minute. Let me bask in your light,” Joe countered, and Nicky pouted his mouth and accepted Joe’s kiss. 

Later, after they dried from their shower and dressed for bed, Joe dragged the covers over them. He curled into Nicky’s side. Nicky had already closed his eyes, but Joe wanted to see Nicky’s smile one last time before he closed his own. 

He flicked Nicky’s ear and blew at it until Nicky scrunched his nose and tilted his neck back to face him.

“Really?” 

“I need to tell you something,” he whispered. 

“What is it?” Nicky asked, playing along, as if he had no idea what Joe was going to say. 

They say it every night, and they mean it every time. 

“I love you, Nicky,” he said, very solemnly and then he flicked Nicky’s ear again. Nicky grabbed his wrist and brought his knuckles to his lips to kiss them. Joe blew at his ear. 

“I love you, too,” Nicky said, with the dopiest smile. 

“Let me kiss you goodnight,” Joe countered, and Nicky pursed his lips. 

Joe blew a raspberry on his cheek instead. Nicky laughed and elbowed him before giving Joe their kiss good night.

*

Nile was in the lobby drinking her complimentary coffee, sunglasses on even though she was inside. She didn’t have a hangover, but whatever she had was a phantom hangover. Like her body felt cheated that it wasn’t feeling like shit.

Joe and Nicky joined her, backpacks lazily over their shoulders. Nicky was wearing Joe’s baseball cap, and Nile realized she hadn’t seem him wear it before. 

“Feeling alright?” Joe asked, sitting down next to her as Nicky took a seat on the couch across. 

“I’m never drinking again,” she swore. “Ever.” 

“You know, Nicky, that reminds me of that time in Moscow --” 

“Stop it, or I swear to god,” Nile started, and Joe laughed. Nile took a sip of her coffee anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> coming out of hibernation to post this bc these two now have claimed my heart.


End file.
